I read this years ago and I still remember the story. There is something about Ms. Smith's writing which is so good. I liked this story yet I probably won't read it again. What I loved about this story was how realistic it was for me to read. To lovers who have mothers that are so similar yet in different occupations who seem to have issues with each other. I found it amusing. What I enjoy about Ms. Smith's books is that I also learn something new. In this one, I learn about running an orchard. I'm not sure if this is all true to a real orchard business, but it sure seemed real to me. This added educations appeals to me. While I enjoy being entertained by a romance story, if I am also taught something new about a field I've her had much information about, all the better.Now to the characters. I liked Hush. She is a strong woman who wants to carry on a family business with tradition and pride. I felt for her as the First family felt they were better than her. I really disliked the First family. The President and his wife were so damn condescending to me. Do they know, they are NOT royalty? They are fucking public servants. Oh wait, just the President is a fucking public servant. How they let their power go to their head. Aggravating.What one would think the story is about Hush's Harvard graduate son and the daughter of the President, it's really about Hush and the struggles of her life. Her romance which is what I enjoyed. The nephew of the President(name escapes me) is stuck between a rock and a hard place. I'm glad he felt torn and finally came to see the light. Recommended for romance lovers.
Every year I try to choose my personal favorite book, the one that, if I were a professional reviewer, I would be dragging out the ticker tape for! In 2013 (and I admit I read a lot so another one could find its way onto this shelf before January 1, 2014) Sweet Hush by Deborah Smith is fulfilling the criteria for Kathy's Book of the Year. At first, I thought it was going to be confusing to keep up with the characters, and maybe a little boring since it is written around the history of a family of Appalachian apple farmers, but it is a million times the other side of boring or confusing! I am so invested in these characters that they seem to just sit on the bed next to me at night and watch me read their stories. What happens: A young man brings his girlfriend home to Appalachia, to Sweet Hush Farms, to meet his mother, and to give the girl some peace. You see? Peace is very hard for this young woman to come by as she is the First Daughter, and the reader realizes that quickly when realizing Davis and Eddie are trying to outrun 3 SUVs full of Secret Service agents to accomplish it. What a riot ensues! I want to just step right into the scene, smell the apples, taste the wonderful apple products, listen to the sweet Bluegrass music, and fall in love, whether I want to or not. Sweet Hush. Please read it! Wonderful read for history fans, fans of high drama, fans of comedy, and fans of romance. There is something for everyone. So well-written that I peeked out a window a couple of times to make sure I had not been transported to the mountain hollows, and finding myself disappointed that I had not.
What do You think about Sweet Hush (2004)?
I liked the plot, in concept, and the book was an enjoyable read. Hush wants two things: to grow her apples, and for her son to have better opportunities than she did. Both are endangered when said son suddenly leaves Harvard and returns home with his new wife, whose father is President of the United States. There's not much substance here, and the book was as fluffy as an apple pancake fresh off the griddle. Smith tries to make the plot deeper, more complex, but never quite succeeds more than superficially.
—Debbie
This was a really good book. Deborah Smith is an author I discovered while browsing the library. Her books are descriptive, engaging, and deep. She doesn't write with flowery words and silly romantic notions. Her books are stories filled with layers from past to present, emotions that tangle with the readers own, to make it more real. I have read others of hers and really enjoyed them, but I had skipped over this one several times. The premise of involvement with the President and First Lady somehow didn't grab me. It should have. Let's just say Hush and the First Lady don't hit it off and the sparks that fly will make you double over in laughter. I loved it. Hush was great to read about....probably one of the strongest, boldest, and bravest female characters I've read and her happy ending was a treat to experience.
—Jaime Atkins
This story is about a woman named Hush McGillen, who has pulled herself out of poverty to make her family's apple orchard into a big business. She sends her son to Harvard, but after a couple years he comes speeding back to the family farm with a wife in tow. The wife is the daughter of the President of the United States! Now the heroine's life is upside-down. There are secret service agents everywhere she looks and the media is swarming. And the President has sent his nephew, a retired Lt Colonel from the US Army, to escort his daughter home.This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm having a hard time with her writing style. The first 50 pages were about the heroine's childhood, her marriage and her love for the family farm. Finally the story moved back to the present and started getting interesting. Around page 80 we are introduced to the hero (President's nephew) and then we have 50-60 pages of his background. SNORE. The book is told in first person point-of-view. Half of it is from Hush's POV and the other half is from the nephews. The actual story in the present is pretty good...if she would just tell that story and limit some of the background information to make it interesting. My rating: 3.5 Stars.
—Robin
